South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow agreed Wednesday to continue increasing their countries' energy cooperation while also expanding their bilateral ties to new areas, including education. In their first bilateral summit, Moon and Berdimuhamedow noted the countries have steadily improved their ties in various areas since they established diplomatic ties in 1992, which were upgraded to a mutually beneficial partnership in 2008.

S. Korea, Philippines to launch FTA talks

South Korea agreed with the Philippines to launch bilateral free trade talks soon as part of efforts to bolster economic ties, Seoul's trade ministry said Wednesday. South Korea's Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee met her Philippine counterpart, Ramon Lopez, during a visit to Manila, where the two agreed to negotiate on a free trade agreement (FTA) with the goal of finalizing the details in time for Seoul's summit with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in November this year.

Moon's confidant released on bail after detention over opinion rigging

South Gyeongsang Province Gov. Kim Kyoung-soo was released on April 17, 2019 after 77 days of detention over his role in a massive rigging of online opinions. The Seoul High Court approved Kim's request for bail but attached a condition under which he should only stay in his residence in Changwon, 400 kilometers south of Seoul.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's de-facto chief of staff was seen in Vladivostok amid speculations regarding Kim's visit to Russia next week. Japan's Fuji News Network reported that Kim Chang-son, the chief secretary of the Secretariat of the North's State Affairs Commission, was seen inspecting the surroundings of the Vladivostok train station on Wednesday afternoon. The media outlet also published a photo of the chief secretary next to the station.

KCNA: Kim Jong-un Supervises Test of New Tactical Guided Weapon

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has reportedly supervised the testing of a new tactical guided weapon, calling its development "an event of very weighty significance." The North's official Korean Central News Agency(KCNA) reported on Thursday that Kim observed the test-firing of the weapon by the Academy of Defense Science on Wednesday. Kim reportedly said the development of the weapon system serves as a significant event in increasing the combat power of the People's Army.

Bolton: US Needs 'Real Indication' from N. Korea Before Third Summit

U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton said the U.S. needs more evidence that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is ready to give up his nuclear weapons before a third summit with U.S. President Donald Trump. Bolton made the remarks on Wednesday during an interview with Bloomberg News when asked what the U.S. would need to see ahead of a third meeting between Trump and Kim. Bolton said he thinks a "real indication" from North Korea that they've made the strategic decision to give up nuclear weapons would be needed. He added President Trump is fully prepared to have a third summit if he can get a real deal.

A long-speculated first summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin appears increasingly likely to take place next week, as the top U.S. nuclear envoy is set to visit Moscow this week. The North's flag carrier, Air Koryo, has also scheduled a special flight to Vladivostok next week, bolstering speculation that Kim could meet with Putin in the Russian city bordering the North around next Wednesday when Putin travels to the Far East en route to China for an international conference.

Apartment arson suspect detained for stabbing five residents to death

A man in Jinju, southeastern South Korea, set his apartment aflame on Wednesday and attacked fleeing residents with a knife, killing five of them and injuring 13, police said. The 42-year-old arson and murder suspect, identified only as his family name Ahn, set fire to his apartment building in Jinju, about 435 kilometers southeast of Seoul, at around 4:29 a.m. before randomly stabbing other residents coming out of their houses to evacuate, police said.

Hyundai unveils new entry SUV at New York auto show

Hyundai Motor Co., South Korea's largest automaker, has unveiled its all-new entry-level sport-utility vehicle (SUV) at a New York auto show, hoping to attract young consumers with its stylish design. Hyundai celebrated the world premiere of Venue at the 2019 New York International Auto Show at Jacob Javits Center in New York on Wednesday (local time). The automaker said that the small crossover, which sits below the subcompact Kona, targets people in their 20s and 30s.

Son Heung-min has made UEFA Champion League scoring history as he helped send Tottenham Hotspur into the semifinals of the top European club competition. Son grabbed a brace against Manchester City in the Spurs' thrilling 4-3 loss in the second leg of the Champions League quarterfinals at Etihad Stadium in Manchester, England, on Wednesday (local time). Tottenham, having taken the first leg 1-0 at home, still knocked off Man City on away goals and will go on to face Ajax in the semifinals.

NK leader supervises test-fire of new tactical guided weapon: KCNA

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has supervised a test-firing of a new tactical guided weapon, calling its development an "event of very weighty significance" in beefing up its military power, state media reported Thursday. The Korean Central News Agency said the test happened Wednesday but did not specify what the newly developed weapon was. It was the first time since November the North's leader has overseen a weapons testing.

S. Korea drops joint bid proposal with N. Korea for Women’s World Cup

South Korea has submitted a bid to be the sole host of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, dropping an earlier proposal to co-host the event with North Korea due to a lack of prior coordination. FIFA on Wednesday announced the list of a record nine member associations that have submitted formal bidding registrations. South Korea’s Korea Football Association was listed as a sole entry, though FIFA noted the KFA’s “expressing interest in a joint bid with” North Korea.

President Moon Jae-in agreed Wednesday to expand energy-related business partnerships with Turkmenistan during a summit with the latter's President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, Wednesday. "We expect more Korean companies to participate in energy and plant businesses led by the Turkmenistan government," Moon said in a post-summit joint press release there. Turkmenistan is the first destination of Moon's trip to three Central Asian countries, including Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. Moon will stay in the country for three days until Thursday.

LG Chem, Hanwha Chemical fabricate fine dust emissions data

LG Chem, Hanwha Chemical and another 233 companies operating factories mostly in the Yeosu Industrial Complex have been caught fabricating test results on levels of substances causing fine dust pollution, according to the Ministry of Environment, Wednesday. The ministry said the companies colluded with firms offering services measuring air pollutants ― such as sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxide ― to deceive the government. The environmental office tasked with managing the Yeongsangang River area has investigated 13 firms offering pollutant measuring services in Gwangju and South Jeolla Province since March last year, confirming that four of them forged the results of their tests.

Fatal arson attacker showed signs of schizophrenia

The suspect in an early morning arson and killing spree Wednesday exhibited signs of schizophrenia, claiming his fatal attack was in self-defense against "forces that threatened me," police said at a briefing later in the day. He reportedly had a history of mental illness. Five people were killed and 13 injured in the arson and stabbing attack at an apartment complex in Jinju. Police said that four of the dead were women including a 12-year-old girl and her grandmother. A blind high school senior was also a victim. Some of the injured were listed in a critical condition so the death toll could rise. Seven others were victims of smoke inhalation.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will visit Vladivostok next week and meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Izvestia on Wednesday quoted a Russian Foreign Ministry source as saying "actual plans" are being made for Kim's visit and that the meeting is expected to take place in Vladivostok before Putin heads to Beijing on April 26. But the source added that a sudden change in plans cannot be ruled out due to their "extemporaneous" nature.

N.Korean Propaganda Machine Deifies Kim Jong-un

A recent hagiography of Kim Jong-un hails the tubby North Korean leader as a "gift from heaven" in an apparent push to complete his deification now that he has cemented power at home. Kim's newly consolidated status also became evident at last week's meetings of the Workers Party Central Committee, which he chaired alone for the first time, and the rubber-stamp Supreme People's Assembly. The official [North] Korean Central News Agency also first used the title "supreme commander of the armed forces" when Kim visited the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun on Monday to mark nation founder Kim Il-sung's birthday. It is a subtle switch from "supreme commander of the Korean People's Army," but to boffins it makes all the difference.

5-day journey of 2 victims of civilian massacres by South Korean troops during Vietnam War

Vietnam has had countless tragedies comparable to those that occurred on Jeju Island in 1948 and in Gwangju, a city in southwestern Korea, in 1980. Some of those tragedies occurred in the villages of Phong Nhi, Phong Nhat and Ha My in Quang Nam Province, where South Korean troops deployed to Vietnam brutally massacred civilians over the course of 10 days in February 1968. Nguyen Thi Thanh, 58, who was seven years old when Korean soldiers killed her family and shot her on the left side in Phong Nhi and Phong Nhat, shared her story with the Hankyoreh 21.

Trump says North Korea-US dialogue “doesn’t have to move fast”

US President Donald Trump reiterated on Apr. 15 that denuclearization dialogue with North Korea “doesn’t have to move fast.” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also stressed the need for North Korea-US dialogue while urging Pyongyang to take action toward denuclearization. The messages raised the possibility of a third North Korea-US summit while maintaining the US’ insistence on a “big deal” approach in which no sanctions relief is provided before complete denuclearization.

Detention period for Park Geun-hye ends amid ongoing trial

The detention period for Park Geun-hye, whose trial in an influence-peddling scandal is currently being reviewed by the Supreme Court, came to an end on the evening of Apr. 16. The former South Korean president won’t be released from custody, however, because of a pending prison sentence she was given for meddling in candidate nominations by the Saenuri Party (today known as the Liberty Korea Party). With the Supreme Court’s full bench scheduled to hold its fourth hearing on Apr. 18 in the case, which involves Park, her former confidante Choi Soon-sil, and Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, some analysts believe the court could issue its verdict on Apr. 25.

Satellite imagery of North Korea’s Yongbyon nuclear facility taken on Friday showed signs of activities associated with nuclear fuel reprocessing. It was taken on the same day as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said in his address that he thinks his country should not obsess with a summit with the U.S. only because of sanctions relief. Experts say North Korea sent messages of engagement and pressure at the same time while expressing its willingness for a third summit with the U.S. in order to draw a concession from Washington.

Apple and Qualcomm have surprisingly agreed to settle their 30 trillion-won patent dispute on the first day of their trial. The two American “IT dinosaurs” issued a joint statement on Tuesday (local time) that they reached a license agreement and agreed to drop all litigation between the two companies worldwide. The settlement has put an end to their patent dispute that started in January 2017, when Apple filed a lawsuit against Qualcomm. Against this backdrop, Apple is projected to release its first fifth-generation (5G) iPhone model that employs Qualcomm’s 5G modem chip as early as within this year.

"When spring comes, I think of you. You never came back, but the sea is so still and calm, as if nothing ever happened. What did we do wrong that we were parted? I won't ask you for forgiveness. But on the day the truth is revealed, will you give me a chance to apologize?" At 3 p.m. on April 16, a “ceremony of remembrance” on the 5th anniversary of the Sewol accident was held at Hwarang Yuwonji (park) in Ansan-si, Gyeonggi-do. The voice reading the letter trembled. As Jang Ae-jin, a student who survived the accident, read the letter to her friends, now stars studded in heaven, the trembling voice led way to tears, and silent sobs spread throughout the park.

Liberty Korea Party Members Refuse to Maketh Man and Insult the Families of the Sewol Victims

Once again, we greet the sixteenth of April, when the painful flower of remembrance blooms. It is a day that becomes more vivid rather than fades away for the bereaved families who parted with their loved ones not knowing why and the people who survived the sudden accident also not knowing why. This year, memorials were held and a wave of yellow ribbons appeared in Seoul, Ansan and Jindo once again recalling the promise and resolution, "We will not forget," from five years ago. Thanks to the victims’ families and survivors who did not stop demanding the truth, the South Korean society has not forgotten the Sewol and the lessons from the tragic accident. Yet from another perspective, the past five years were a time that also confirmed how brutal the state and society, which took the lives of 304 people by seeking profits over safety, and efficiency over lives, could be to the victims. More than anything, it is devastating to witness the barbarism insulting and ridiculing the sinking of the ferry and the families of the victims in public fora every time when that painful April comes.

The Bank of Korea (BOK) left policy rates unchanged Thursday despite mounting pressures for more accommodative rates in the face of worsened economic conditions from weakening in exports and subdued domestic demand that has pushed inflation down into zero territory. As widely expected, the central bank kept the benchmark rate steady at 1.75 percent, choosing to stay pat for the fourth time in a row.

Socar adds Tesla’s Model S to its car-sharing platform

South Korea’s largest car-sharing service provider Socar has added premium electric vehicle Model S by Tesla Inc. to its fleet to allow its users to own them and share them when they don’t drive them. Socar said on Wednesday that it has signed a memorandum of understanding with Tesla a day before to add Tesla’s Model S to its fleet as a long-term sharing model.

Korea’s first for-profit hospital has failed to see daylight as the Jeju provincial government officially nullified the license to a Chinese-owned medical center due to protracted delay in the opening because of questions about its day-to-day business when it can only accept foreigners. In a press conference held on Wednesday, Jeju Gov. Won Hee-ryong said the regional government decided to cancel the conditional business permit to Greenland International Medical Center based on the results of a hearing by a group of professionals.